With its balmy beaches, laid back lifestyles and holiday vibe, the tropical paradise of Bali has much to offer any world weary traveler – let alone those fleeing a war zone. So perhaps it should be no surprise that since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Indonesia’s most famous holiday island has once again become a magnet for thousands of Russians and Ukrainians seeking to escape the horrors of war. Some 58,000 Russians visited this Southeast Asian idyll in 2022 following its post-Covid reopening, and a further 22,500 arrived in January 2023 alone, according to the Indonesian government, making them the second biggest group of visitors after Australians. Adding to their number are the more than 7,000 Ukrainians who arrived in 2022, and some 2,500 in the first month of this year. But for those fleeing the violence – or the draft – there’s trouble in paradise. Balinese authorities this week called for the end to Indonesia’s visa-on-arrival policy for citizens of Russia and Ukraine, citing a spate of alleged incidents involving misbehavior and various examples of visitors overstaying their visas and working illegally as hairdressers, unauthorized tour guides and taxi drivers. The move has been met with dismay by many Ukrainians on the island, who say that most of the incidents involve Russians and that they are being unfairly tarred with the same brush. “Whenever we get reports about a foreigner behaving badly, it’s almost always Russian,” a local police officer in the town of Kuta told CNN, declining to be identified due to sensitivities surrounding the issue. “Foreigners come to Bali but they behave like they are above the law. This has always been the case and it has to finally stop,” he said. Badly behaved tourists can be a touchy subject in Bali, where foreigners of various nationalities regularly make headlines for drunk and inappropriate behavior, public nudity and disrespecting sacred sites. But the Balinese authorities appear ready to make an example of Russians and Ukrainians amid rising public debate over perceptions of their conduct. “Why these two countries? Because they are at war so they flock here,” Bali governor Wayan Koster told a news conference this week. The influx of Russians and Ukrainians into Bali comes despite Ukraine having banned all men aged 18 to 60 from leaving the country. Russia has no official blanket ban, but has mobilized 300,000 reservists to join the fighting, prompting many young men to flee abroad rather than be drafted. CNN reached out to the Russian embassy in Indonesia and Ukrainian consulate in Bali. Russian embassy officials did not immediately respond; Ukraine’s Honorary Consulate in Bali said Ukrainians in the country were mostly females there for family unification reasons rather than tourism and that they did “not want to violate the rules and regulations.” ‘We all get along’ While Bali was a favorite with Russian tourists even before the war, its attractions have become only more appealing in the wake of Putin’s grinding invasion and subsequent mobilization. And it is far from the only refuge in Southeast Asia. The island of Phuket in southern Thailand, often lauded as among the world’s best beach destinations, has seen a sudden influx of Russian arrivals – many of whom have invested in property to ensure they can enjoy long-term stays. “Life in Russia is very different now,” a former investment banker from St. Petersburg who bought an apartment near Phuket’s Old Town district told CNN. He declined to disclose his identity for fear of retaliation from Russian authorities. “No one wants to stay and live in the middle of war,” he said. “It is stressful thinking about the possibility of returning to Russia and being punished… (so) it makes sense to invest in a place which costs less than Moscow and is safer.” In Bali, part of the attraction has been down to Indonesia’s policy that allows nationals of more than 80 countries – including, at least for now, Russia and Ukraine – to apply for visas upon arrival. The visa is valid for 30 days but can be extended once to a total of 60 days. That might be plenty of time for those planning lengthy vacations, but those seeking a more prolonged stay are not allowed to work. Indonesian authorities said several Russian tourists had been deported in recent months for overstaying their visas, among them a 28-year-old from Moscow who was arrested and deported after he was found to be working as a photographer. Others who arrived hoping to find work have since returned home, risking Moscow’s wrath if they are suspected of fleeing the draft. Among the wave of Russians to have traveled to Bali was Sergei Ovseikin, a street artist who created an anti-war mural in the middle of a rice paddy field – a “mural” that reflected his stance on military conscription and the war. “Like many others forced to leave our native country, I came to Bali as a tourist,” Ovseikin said. “Russia remains in a difficult political situation. I am against wars, no matter where they take place,” he said. “A lot of people who disagreed with the war flew to Bali – Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians and others,” he added. “We all get along well with each other… and understand that ordinary people did not start this war.” ‘It’s beautiful … no Russian soldiers’ News of the possible change to the visa rules has rattled some of the Ukrainians on the island, many of whom left their homeland when war broke out and have been living on savings ever since, leaving and reentering every 60 days to avoid flouting the rules. “Bali is a good place,” said one Ukrainian named Dmytro. “It is beautiful, the weather is great and it’s a safe place for Ukrainians – there may be big groups of Russians, but there are no Russian soldiers.” Ukrainians on the island were a tightly knit community that largely kept away from Russians and had been surprised by the possible move, he added. “Ukrainians respect Balinese law and culture. We do a lot for our local communities and don’t represent any risk for people in Bali,” Dmytro said. “Many back in Ukraine have questions about Bali and would also love to come.” “It’s very sad that Ukrainians are being put in the same (category) as Russians. Russians are the second largest tourist group in Bali and if you read the news, you’ll see how often it is Russians breaking local laws and disrespecting Balinese culture and traditions,” he added. “So why do Ukrainians have to suffer when it isn’t us causing problems in Bali?” Ukraine’s Honorary Consulate in Bali said in a statement to CNN that there were around 8,500 Ukrainian citizens on the island as of February 2023, holding various temporary and permanent visa permits. “Ukrainians do not come for holiday to Bali at this current moment as our country is being invaded. The Ukrainians coming to Bali now are for family unification (reasons) and are mostly female,” said spokesperson Nyoman Astama. “We reaffirm that Ukrainians in Bali do not want to violate the rules and regulations,” Astama added. “It is imperative to enforce the law and implement the consequences for any breach of the law as voiced now by the people in Bali.” Still, for now at least, anyone from either country still hoping for a visa on arrival can take some comfort in the fact that the central government is yet to decide on whether to grant the request by the Balinese authorities. “We will discuss it in detail with other stakeholders,” Indonesian Minister of Tourism Sandiaga Uno told local reporters on Monday. Source: CNN

Violet Frank's two grandchildren serve as reminders of her missing daughter-in-law. It is feared her name will be added to those of more than 300 who died when Cyclone Freddy struck Malawi at the beginning of the week. The youngsters had gone to stay with Violet just days before and escaped the fate of their mother, who fell victim to the unforgiving power of a landslide. "She was with my son in their matrimonial home in Chilobwe. He stepped outside their home when he heard neighbours screaming and things falling with a loud bang outside their house," Violet said. "Luckily, he survived. He was taken to hospital by well-wishers. But we do not know where his wife is." When we met Violet, she was staring at what was left of her son's home. A huge boulder sat in the middle of the two-bedroom house, the memories there smashed to pieces. A few metres away, rescue teams were retrieving a body from the rubble and mud. It was not Violet's daughter-in-law. She asked one of the officials to help look for her loved one, but she did not get an answer. "When you tell [the rescue teams] where to look for people, they do not go there. They are only retrieving bodies in the places that are not as badly affected. "But what about our people? When will they go to look for them?" Chilobwe was one of the areas worst affected by the landslides that hit Malawi's commercial hub, Blantyre. The advice that most residents received from the authorities before the cyclone struck was to stay indoors, but that was not much help. It is not clear how many houses were destroyed in Chilobwe, but we saw huge piles of boulders and trees that had flattened people's houses. Other homes were washed away by torrents of water or buried under mudslides. Areas that had been green and bustling with small businesses were in a sombre mood. There was still activity - but of a different kind, with the community helping to look for the missing. Those whose houses are still standing carry hoes and shovels to comb through the debris looking for bodies. When we met Richard Galeta, 34, he was dressed in a white protective suit, worn by people who have volunteered to help bury victims. Richard buried his wife and child on Wednesday. "I was working hard for them. Now that they are gone, I don't know what to do," he said. "The last thing that I told my wife is that I am going to give her money this week to go and visit her parents. But now I must be the one to go and visit them and share the bad news." He is now living in a temporary camp set up at a local primary school. Richard said life there was not easy. He accused those running it of not looking after the victims properly, saying that getting enough food was a major challenge. "A lot of organisations have brought us food. But it is just rotting in one of the classrooms that have been turned in storage facilities," he added. [caption id="attachment_37717" align="aligncenter" width="789"] Mud and boulders have destroyed thousands of houses as the floodwaters swept through Malawi[/caption] Malinga Namuku, who is in charge of the camp for the Malawi Red Cross, said they were feeding people, but it was sometimes "hard for volunteers to keep track of who has been fed and who hasn't". "But we are trying our best." There were a lot of children at the shelter running around and playing with makeshift balloons created out of surgical gloves. Looking at them it did not feel like it was a disaster zone. This is something some experts say will probably register in their minds later. Dr Charles Mwansambo, Malawi's Principal Health Secretary, said the mental health of the survivors was a critical issue that the authorities will need to attend to over the next few weeks. The camp houses about 5,000 people and many others were arriving in the hope of finding a dry place to stay. [caption id="attachment_37718" align="aligncenter" width="785"] Richard Galeta lost his wife and child in the mudslides[/caption] Most of the people living in the camp have nowhere else to go and are in distress, as they are unable to trace their loved ones. This weather is making it difficult for search-and-rescue teams to find people. On some days teams would stop halfway through the activity either because it had rained, or there was too much fog. Those helping with the search include the police service, the military and international organisations. The police are also using dogs to locate bodies. As of Friday, more than 300 deaths had been confirmed in Malawi, with more in neighbouring Mozambique, and more than 80,000 people had been forced to leave their homes. The death toll is likely to rise over the next few weeks as the weather clears and makes it easier for rescuers to continue their grim work. At least 200 people are still missing - among them Violet's daughter-in-law. She just hopes her body will be found so that she can be given a fitting burial. Source: BBC

It's been five years since Taylor Swift last went on tour, during which time she's released four albums, including the Grammy Award-winning Folklore. Her live absence - enforced by the pandemic - was clearly a source of frustration, because her first show back was a three-hour, fifteen-minute extravaganza, including 44 songs from across her career. "I can't even go into how much I've missed you," Swift told fans, as she took to the stage for the opening night of her Eras tour. The star had promised the show would be "a journey through all of my musical eras" and the appetite for tickets was so great that it caused Ticketmaster's systems to fall over. Despite that, the tour broke the record for the most concert tickets sold by an artist in a single day, at 2.4 million. About 80,000 of those fans attended the first show at Arizona's State Farm Stadium, where they were treated to a trawl through Swift's hugely varied back catalogue. The set was split into sections, one for each of her 10 albums, tracing her journey from country ingénue to chart-topping pop star to lockdown-era folk singer (albeit with a mixed-up chronology). She opened with Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince, a cherished fan favourite from 2019's Lover album, before segueing into the dreamy pop of Cruel Summer. Dressed in a diamond-encrusted leotard outfit and surrounded by dancers with elaborate peacock tails, she soaked up the crowd's applause, declaring: "I don't know how to process all of this and how it's making me feel right now. "[But] let me start by saying you're making me feel fantastic". The show is a massive production, with 16 dancers, multiple set and costume changes and a long, illuminated catwalk leading to a second stage. At one point, she appeared to dive into the stage and swim to the middle of the stadium, before emerging on a rising platform to play her recent single, Lavender Haze. Look What Made You Do was performed against a giant video wall showing Swift in various personas from her 17-year career while Blank Space featured dancers riding blue neon bikes, straight out of Tron. For the more pastoral songs of Folklore, Swift appeared inside a moss-covered country shack, first seen in her 2021 Grammy Awards performance. Later, on the cutthroat revenge fantasy Vigilante, she performed a Fosse-inspired chair routine. But the highlight for many was the full 10-minute version of All Too Well - the song she allegedly wrote about actor and ex-boyfriend Jake Gyllenhaal - which was performed in a flowing red overcoat as snowflakes fell across the stage. Throughout, the audience sang every word in devoted adoration. The feeling was very clearly mutual. At one point, Swift interrupted her own stage patter to deadpan: "I'm trying to tell you I love you and I'm babbling." Early reviews for the concert have been enthusiastic, highlighting the extensive setlist and cinematic production values. "The queen of pop reclaims her throne," declared The Times, adding: "If there is a danger that shifting between 10 such different albums could lead to an uneven experience it is somehow avoided here, with Swift managing to produce a cohesive experience despite the constantly changing outfits and backdrops." "She managed to make it look easy, enjoying the journey as much as the Swifties in attendance did," agreed local news outlet Arizona Central. "The Swifties are certainly going to be Enchanted," said Hello magazine, in a review peppered with Swift's song titles. "It's been a long wait back to this moment, but karma is, indeed, a queen - and this was worth the wait." "The achievement is often staggering" concluded Billboard, "with costume changes, set-piece upheaval [and] vulnerable moments in a crowd of thousands and sing-alongs that will rival the scope of any tour this year." The only criticism, from fans and reviewers alike, was that Swift's third album Speak Now was given short shrift, with only one song on the setlist (the understated ballad Enchanted, performed in a ballgown, pictured above). "She paid this album dust," wrote one concertgoer on Reddit. "The dress was beautiful though." Rumours are already circulating that the Speak Now section will be expanded during the tour, with Swift expected to release a re-recorded version of the album as part of her ongoing campaign to regain control of her masters. For now, the 52-date tour is restricted to the US. It is not known whether the extravagant production will come to the rest of the world - but fans are living in hope. Source: BBC

The Papua New Guinea University of Technology (PNGUOT) NCD Students and Staff Association has been finally reactivated just recently after been dormant for the last seven years. The Association had its first official meeting on Saturday, 11th March after being inactive following the protests and boycott back in 2016. During the official meeting, Association Executives were formed, and the association is confident that the strong team will lead the association this year and onwards. The meeting was chaired by the Vice President, Mr. Arthur Kondon. First year students were given the chance to introduce themselves then voting was done to form the association executives. The Association President, Felix Soto later welcomed the first-year students, congratulated the newly appointed executives, and gave updates regarding the scholarship funds from the NCD office. After his important updates, the chairman closed the meeting, marking the end of the first official meeting of the Unitech NCD Students and Staff Association. The 2023 interim executives for the newly revived NCD Students and Staffs Association are as follows: 1. President- Felix Soto (Final year civil engineering student) 2. Male Vice President- Arthur Kondon (Final Year Mining Engineering Student) 3. Female Vice president- Pelina Panda (final year geographic information science Student) 4. Treasurer- Dimmy Kiponge (third year mechanical engineering student) 5. Secretary- Japena Elawi (Final Year geographic information science Student)

The government, in its effort to properly implement development and service provision to the people, introduced a new bill that is now before parliament, to increase the number of Cabinet ministries from 32 to 38. Prime Minister (PM) James Marape introduced the Bill recently to amend the Prime Minister and National Executive Council (NEC) Act to bring up the number of ministries because of increased workload and to cater for the addition in the number of electorates in recent times. PM Marape said more ministers were needed to manage key sectors and address pressing development issues to keep up with the fast-increasing growth rate of the country. “On the eve of the 10th Parliament, we presented the Electoral Boundaries Commission Report and Parliament approved seven new open seats to be included in the 2022 Election and now we have a 118 seat Parliament. “Consistent with the approval last year, by 2027 we will have a further five seats included in this Parliament. This gives us an opportunity to better build up our people’s representation in Parliament and to better distribute the nation’s resources. This increase must be seen in the context of no adjustments since 1977. Our representation was stagnant for a better part of our 48 years as an independent country. “We also have our population growth rate at around 3 percent with an economy growth that is trying to catch up. We now have 97 electorates and the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, with five more electorates coming up. “We need to start counter these increases. So, we need to set up new ministries, get competent ministers in, so the Government can concentrate on those sectors that are lying idle or need more focus on, and improve service delivery in these areas,” PM Marape said.

The Broncos set up a top of the table showdown with the Dolphins after piling on four tries in nine minutes to beat the Dragons 40-18 at Suncorp Stadium. The Broncos trailed 16-8 at halftime and the scores were locked at 18-18 until the 71st minute but they finished too strong to ensure an epic build up to the historic clash with their new cross-town rivals on Friday night. However, a two-point field goal on the last play of the first half by Broncos captain Adam Reynolds narrowed the deficit to 16-8 at the interval and it was a different game after the break. Staggs got his second try in the 50th minute after gathering up a Reynolds grubber kick and juggling the ball before regaining control and performing a forward roll as he ground the ball in the Dragons in-goal. A try saving tackle by Sloan denied Cobbo and the Dragons appeared to have steadied when Mikaele Ravalawa burst through the defence from the backfield. Zac Lomax won the race for a deep kick from Ben Hunt, only for the try to be disallowed after replays showed he had put his hand on the touchline as he ground the ball. Cobbo was finally rewarded when he scored eight minutes before fulltime after Reynolds feigned to kick and passed to fullback Reece Walsh, who turned the winger back inside to cross near the posts. Source: NRL.com

Lance Reddick, an actor in the popular HBO series The Wire, has died aged 60, according to US media outlets. Reddick was also known for starring as Charon in the John Wick action-thriller movie franchise. The musician and actor died suddenly of natural causes on Friday in his Los Angeles home, his publicist said. Police were called to the actor's house around 09:30 local time (16:30 GMT), the publicist told US media. "Lance will be greatly missed," his publicist, Mia Hansen, said in a statement. "Please respect his family's privacy at this time." Reddick had been in the middle of a press tour for the fourth instalment of the John Wick movies, which is slated to be released on 24 March. He is also set to appear in the upcoming John Wick spinoff, Ballerina, starring Ana de Armas. Reddick, a native of Baltimore, appeared in more than a dozen films and shows during his 25-year acting career. He was Charon, the hotel concierge at a New York criminal underground hub called The Continental Hotel in the John Wick movies. He appeared in the original movie, its two sequels and is set to appear in the fourth instalment. The actor was also known for his breakout role as Baltimore police lieutenant Cedric Daniels in The Wire, a series that ran from 2002 to 2008 and examined the narcotics scene in Baltimore from the perspective of law enforcement as well as drug dealers and users. Reddick told the Guardian in 2010 that he thought the show would be a "hit" but did not anticipate it "would become this phenomenon". The actor was in the Resident Evil Netflix series and the science fiction-action movie Godzilla vs. Kong. He was known for his voice acting work as well, including for the TV series Rick and Morty. Reddick studied classical music at the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester in New York, where he received a bachelor's degree before attending the Yale School of Drama. He earned a SAG Award nomination in 2021 along with fellow cast members for his role in the film One Night in Miami. The actor is survived by his wife, Stephanie, as well as a daughter, Yvonne Nicole Reddick, and a son, Christopher Reddick. Reddick told the Los Angeles Times in 2009 that he felt like an "artist at heart". "When I went to drama school, I knew I was at least as talented as other students, but because I was a black man and I wasn't pretty, I knew I would have to work my butt off to be the best that I would be," he said at the time. His death comes two years after Reddick's co-star Michael K Williams, who played Omar in The Wire, died of an overdose. Last year, four people were charged for allegedly selling the drugs that Williams took before his death. Source: BBC

The Titans emerged 38-34 winners over the Storm on Saturday afternoon in a contest which saw 12 tries scored in sweltering conditions on the Gold Coast. The Titans trailed 24-18 at the break before overcoming the error-prone Storm in the second 40 minutes, with star off-season recruit and chief playmaker Kieran Foran impressing, despite spending 24 minutes on the bench after being substituted in a surprise move by coach Justin Holbrook. Even in his more limited role, Foran set up a try and laid on two line breaks, which included helping rookie winger Alofiana Khan-Pereira to a first-half double. While it was high-scoring, it was also full of errors from both sides, with the Storm coughing the ball up 17 times and the Titans 13, with 12 penalties conceded between them. After taking a six-point lead into the break, the Storm made a horror start to the second stanza, with errors from Jahrome Hughes leading directly to a pair of Titans tries in the first six minutes after half-time. But Melbourne refused to go away, with tries to Hughes and Xavier Coates in the final 15 minutes ensuring the final result went down to the wire. Source: NRL.com

Kiriwina Secondary school in the Milne Bay Province has been a secondary school for the 3rd year now but since getting upgraded to secondary school status, the school has been enrolling more students but there are not enough infrastructures to cater for the students. School Principal, Mr. Cyril Tomodiwaona said that they currently don’t have specialized classrooms such as physics and chemistry labs for the students. “We are a boarding school and we have over 100 girls staying in a dorm that is supposed to cater for only 60 girls.” “Another problem we have is staff housing as we currently have 11 staff houses and 21 teachers at the school, so we don’t have enough houses for our teachers to live on the school premises.” He said that the girls’ dormitory is important and so is staff housing; however, they do not have the funds to build these infrastructures. He said that they have submitted requests for funds to assist the school at the district level and they are now just waiting for a response from the district administration. He added that they haven't reached out to the local member yet. They will only do so if they do not get a favourable response from the District Education Office to ask for funds to build infrastructures for the school. Meanwhile, Tomodiwaona said that the school has a teacher ceiling of 30 teacher, but they are unable to get any more teachers due to not enough staff houses.

The Minister for Provincial and Local Level Government Affairs and Member for Kikori, Soroi Eoe, is now the Acting Minister for the Department of Commerce and Industry (DCI). Prime Minister (PM) James Marape appointed Mr. Eoe as the Acting Minister to determine stability while the incumbent Minister for DCI, Mr. Henry Amuli, continues contesting a National Court Decision that declared his seat as a member, null and void. Minister Eoe has met with all DCI divisional heads for a briefing to discuss their departments work status. Minister Eoe encouraged the departmental heads to focus on their mandated task in creating a sustainable socio-economic growth for the country. He said that DCI plays a vital role in growing the country’s economy and that they must maximize both natural and human resources to achieve this. Minister Eoe commended DCI Secretary David Ganai and senior staff for providing their respective briefs. He pledged his support to ensure issues are identified and addressed in his term as Acting Minister.

Five tries between wingers Tesi Niu and Jamayne Isaako lifted the Dolphins to a 36-20 victory over the Knights on Friday evening, which saw them become just the third expansion team to win their opening three games. Niu scored twice in the first half before his third with 12 minutes to go looked to have put the result beyond doubt, only for Felise Kaufusi to then be sent to the sin bin for a late tackle which saw him put on report for the second time in the game at McDonald Jones Stadium. It set up a nervous finish, before Isaako's double inside the last five minutes saw Wayne Bennett's side get past a stubborn Knights side who had three players appearing at NRL level for the first time, with a bench that had just 18 total games of first-grade experience. The Dolphins controlled much of the first 40 minutes to lead 16-12 at the break, but couldn't shake the plucky Knights who were led by an inspired showing from fullback Lachlan Miller, who at one stage looked set to lift his team to victory after scoring five minutes either side of the break. After the Dolphins fought back to lead 26-18 with 11 minutes to play, following the Knights hitting the front early in the second half, Newcastle centre Bradman Best blew a golden chance to put his side back into the game when he dropped a potential try over the line, and minutes later Isaako's quick double ended any debate around the result. Source: NRL.com

Jaxson Paulo played a leading role in the downfall of his former club on Friday night, scoring twice to help the Roosters beat the Rabbitohs 20-18 in a typically fierce encounter between the great rivals. A second-half double from Paulo helped lift the Tricolours to victory, but only after they survived a wild finish which saw the Rabbitohs score with two minutes to play, setting up a hail Mary two-point field goal attempt from Latrell Mitchell which fell short of the posts. Earlier South Sydney raced out to a 10-0 lead after 15 minutes and dominated the opening proceedings at Allianz Stadium. It was a masterclass in interchange management from coach Trent Robinson that changed the game on 24 minutes, with the introduction of Kiwi Test stars Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Brandon Smith, who had reverted to bench roles just before kick-off, wrestling momentum in their side's favour, which included Smith scoring his team's first try. As predicted the opening exchanges were full of emotion, and a heavy collision on the first set saw Hame Sele leave the field for a HIA which he failed, before Joseph Sua'ali'i was placed on report. It didn't take long for the Rabbitohs to settle into their rhythm though, and by the time the clock hit 13 minutes they were up 10-0 thanks to tries from Keaon Koloamatangi and Alex Johnston, the first of which was converted by Mitchell. But Smith's clever try from dummy-half, followed by a peach of a kick from Luke Keary to put Daniel Tupou over, saw the Roosters tie things up, and although a late penalty goal gave Souths a 12-10 lead at the break, the game had turned in favour of the Roosters. Paulo's first try five minutes into the second half gave the Roosters the lead for the first time, before his second – which followed a miraculous try-saving strip from Joey Manu minutes earlier – put them in position to close the game out. The Roosters survived the late comeback from the Rabbitohs to pick up their second win of the year. Source: NRL.com